17 Most Overpaid Players in NFL History

Athletes are generally criticized by non-sports fans for making too much money. As a sports fan, I can agree with that statement. They make a lot of money because they are rock stars in society. Whether you like it or not, they sell tickets.

However, there's nothing that gets under my skin more than an athlete signing a huge contract and failing to live up to the hype.

These are the NFL players that failed to live up to the hype and were the most overpaid players in the history of the league.

16. Heath Shuler

Heath Shuler was one heck of a quarterback at the University of Tennessee, but unfortunately for him, he'll be remembered as one of the biggest draft busts in the history of the NFL.

ESPN rated Shuler as the fourth-biggest NFL draft bust of all time, and that's certainly saying something. After the Washington Redskins selected him in the first round, Shuler held out of training camp until he received a seven-year, $19.25 million contract.

Shuler would eventually get benched and traded after his poor play, including a five-interception game against the Arizona Cardinals.

12. Russell Erxleben

Just to remind fans of how bad the New Orleans Saints franchise used to be, they drafted Russell Erxleben in the first round, and all it did was cost them games and more heartaches.

After drafting him in the first round in 1979, he missed kicks that would cost them games and he made a boneheaded interception that would cost the Saints a 40-34 loss at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons.

4. Ryan Leaf

And to think Ryan Leaf was being compared to Peyton Manning in the 1998 NFL draft.

After the Indianapolis Colts selected Peyton Manning, the San Diego Chargers took Leaf and signed him to a four-year contract worth $31.25 million, including a guaranteed $11.25 million signing bonus.

The contract at that time was the largest signing bonus ever given to a rookie, and Leaf's 14 touchdowns and 36 interceptions in his career certainly wasn't what the Chargers had in mind when they signed him.

2. Albert Haynesworth

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Because of his work ethic, Albert Haynesworth has become somewhat of a joke.

Haynesworth has all of the talent in the world, but his bad attitude and dirty plays, like stomping on Andre Gurode and slinging Maurice Jones-Drew to the ground, made teams weary about picking him up.

That didn't stop the Washington Redskins, though, as they signed him to a seven-year deal for $100 million. Haynesworth did nothing but cause problems for the Redskins.

Really, it's what they deserve after giving him that contract knowing his past.

1. JaMarcus Russell

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JaMarcus Russell is the most pathetic story in NFL history.

As a fan of LSU, I really don't want to claim him, and that's bad for a former first-round pick. When Russell was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 2007, he held out until they gave him a contract worth $61 million with $32 million guaranteed.

After playing just three seasons with the Raiders, Russell finished 7-18 as a starter and had 18 touchdowns with 23 interceptions.